The Tefía lime kiln allows lime distribution to farmers of the island

The production of lime in Fuerteventura was one of the leading industries of the island especially from the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth

The old lime kiln Tefia has again been put into operation these days, in an initiative organized by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura in order to offer this product, obtained using the traditional method, farmers of the Island to to disinfect their farms.

The burning process of this oven needs a previous collection of dry gorse that will serve as fuel to 'warm up' the oven, and between 2,000 and 3,000 kilos of limestone, that once burned material will get the precious commodity through a natural chemical process.

Embedding the process in lime by the traditional method is an activity that the council periodically for different reasons. "Sometimes done as a demonstration of customs for documentary and ethnographic research, or as the case, to supply to farmers quicklime majoreros they can use to disinfect their farms," explained the Minister for the Environment Agriculture, Livestock and Fish of the Chapter, Natalia Evora, who coordinates the Department of Works and Machinery which has been carrying out this task.

Évora was this morning following the process of burning in the oven Tefía, which is built into the Eco de La Alcogida, complex along with the other centers of the Island of Museums held today the Open Day on the occasion of World Museum. Ranchers interested in receiving lime may contact the Department of Agriculture from the council next week.

The chronology for the operation of a lime kiln begins a week before burning, which is gathering the necessary material for the process, which basically is fuel, limestone and clay for the assembly of the structure.

After completion of the arrangements, if required in the structure of the oven, place the stone inside. This part of the process requires great skill, as all the limestone is placed above a ceiling mounted with the same stone, leaving a hole in the bottom of the furnace in which fuel will be phased.

After placing the stone covered the oven door with a mixture of soil and water to prevent heat escape. All this second stage before burning can be done in one day.

The burning process extends for approximately 48 hours. At that time, different people must work in shifts so that the power of the furnace is uniform and interrupted, so that the inside temperature remains constant during the process.

After the burning of the gorse, the oven is allowed to cool 3 to 5 days, then the door is removed. At this time the burned stone has changed so that, mixed with water, a reaction-corrosive and dangerous chemical known as quicklime, that finally allows the lime to be obtained.

Historical Reference

The abundance of calcium carbonate in the formation of soils in Fuerteventura flourish historically determined that extraction and processing industry of this stone (called caliche). There are historical references of lime kilns in operation since the seventeenth century, which remained in daily use until the mid-twentieth century. At that time, the emergence of other cement-based materials with practically no lime left out in the construction, its application being limited at present disinfectant on farms.

The limestone was originally exported from Fuerteventura to the Western Isles, where they burned in large furnaces located dockside for use in construction. In the nineteenth and twentieth industry burning limestone also moved in Fuerteventura Island, as its transport and was made more comfortable and less dangerous.

Since then and until today still haunt hundreds of lime kilns located throughout the island's geography. They are of local use, built for small works of family housing, or even industrial type, raised for the export of lime.

The development process starts with lime furnace loading, to what was previously should be collected fuel material, which due to the arid characteristics of the island used to be in most cases gorse. Once loaded the furnace of gorse and lime stones, we proceed to sealing, so that combustion can take place slowly and with the average temperature suitable to ensure a good burn from the oven. This tends to last several days, which requires constant attention by calciners, and we need to ensure that the burning is done permanently to the proper temperature and with the necessary contribution of gorse.

Once the burning is necessary to open up the honor and remove the lime, which is now distributed among the farmers who in turn sprayed on their farms as a disinfectant. Its use to whitewash walls or as a binder in the walls or floors of the works and is limited almost exclusively to members of the historical constructions or renovations.

Return to top of page